A top law personal statement must include legal work experience. Begin with any relevant law firm work experience you’ve had, but don’t forget to mention any other professional experience you’ve had. It’s critical to talk about your job experience properly, which requires…
- Don’t just describe what you’re doing; analyse it.
- Rather of just describing the activities you participated in, you should use your law work experience to illustrate your talents as a prospective law student. You could also wish to demonstrate your inquisitive and curious thinking by sharing some meaningful views on your job experience.
EXAMPLE
Photocopying, filling up legal forms, composing emails, and examining cases were all part of my law firm work experience at a local law company. I was on legal work experience for two weeks, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
BREAKDOWN
This excerpt is inadequate because it just lists the duties that the student performed during law firms work experience without analysing the skills involved, reflecting on their thoughts, or demonstrating that what they learned was novel and worthwhile.
EXAMPLE
I found the necessity for a lawyer to be both accurate and creative when working with a small legal practise. The demands of legal templates, papers, and paperwork needed uttermost focus and correctness, while I was encouraged to think creatively and analytically after thinking on a client’s situation in order to give a successful recommendation. This multifaceted character of a lawyer’s work intrigues me since I believe I am capable of excelling in a challenging and varied work environment.
BREAKDOWN
This student conveys the activities they accomplished during their law work experience while also mentioning how the tasks made them feel and what they personally saw. The student’s ability to recognise the range of the lawyer’s work is impressive.
- Skills connection
- Universities will appreciate any type of professional experience if you can demonstrate how it helped you build skills and traits that are relevant to law school. Consider the following abilities…
- Analysis
- Debating
- Writing
- Thinking Critically
- Reasoning
Top tip for your legal work experience paragraph: analyse, don’t describe!
Tutors frequently make remarks about students’ lack of analysis. Instead of analysing and demonstrating your analytical and legal talents, you describe what you’ve done or make a list of your abilities. Show, don’t tell, is the mantra you should use throughout and try your best to follow.
Here’s an example to help you –
- I read legal documents and chatted with clients during my professional experience. I honed my communication and analysing abilities.
- This student has some relevant law firms work experience, but instead of analysing their time there and displaying their abilities, they have merely listed their activities and skills learned. The trouble is that the instructor will not accept your word for it; you must demonstrate, not simply declare, the talents you have acquired.
- I conducted an examination of two legal papers throughout my legal work experience. In the second paper, I discovered that little wording changes had a huge impact on the text’s overall effect. This made me realise how important language is.
- This made me realise how important language is in law; a simple one-word change from ‘A must accomplish job X’ to ‘A may complete task X’ affects the structure of the document dramatically, and this tight focus analysis is a talent I’d like to cultivate in law school.
This student performs a far better job of exhibiting his or her analytical abilities. The student describes their own unique interpretation of a particular and distinct experience. This is a wonderful approach to demonstrate your analytical abilities to the instructor rather than just informing them.
A Summary of your Law Personal Statement – Law Work Experience Section
The job experience paragraph in your Law Personal Statement is an important element of your personal statement since it demonstrates your abilities and devotion to the field of law. It’s critical that you make the most of your professional experience by retaining a personal tone and showcasing (rather than saying) the skills you learned.
FAQs
→How do you describe work experience in a personal statement?
When describing your law firm work experience in a personal statement, it’s important to focus on the skills and knowledge you gained, as well as how they have developed your interest and understanding of the legal profession. Here are some tips to help you describe your work experience effectively:
Start with an engaging opening sentence that grabs the reader’s attention and sets the tone for the rest of your personal statement.
Provide specific details about your work experience, including the name of the organization, your job title, and the duration of your employment.
Use active verbs to describe the tasks and responsibilities you had in your role. For example, instead of saying “I helped with legal research,” say “I conducted legal research to support the development of case strategies.”
Emphasise the skills you developed through law firms work experience, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and attention to detail. Provide examples of how you have used these skills in your work.
Highlight any achievements or successes you had during your work experience, such as completing a challenging project or receiving recognition for your work.
Connect your work experience to your interest in and potential as a future law student and lawyer. Explain how your work experience has shaped your understanding of the legal profession and how it has prepared you for the challenges of law school and a career in law.
Remember to be concise and focused when describing your work experience in your personal statement. Use specific examples and anecdotes to illustrate your points and demonstrate your potential as a law student and lawyer.
→What type of work experience is preferred in a law personal statement?
Any work experience that allows you to develop your legal knowledge and skills is highly valued in a law personal statement. This could include internships, placements, volunteering, or pro bono work at law firms, legal clinics, or other related organizations. Admissions tutors also appreciate experience in other industries that require strong legal knowledge and understanding, such as finance or government.
→Can I include work experience that is not related to law in my personal statement?
Yes, you can include work experience that is not directly related to law in your personal statement, as long as you can demonstrate how it has helped develop transferable skills that are relevant to the legal profession. For example, experience in customer service, communication, and teamwork can be highly valued in law firms and legal organisations.
→How should I present my work experience in my personal statement?
When presenting your work experience, focus on the skills and knowledge you gained, rather than just the tasks you performed. You should also demonstrate how your experience has developed your interest and understanding of the legal profession. Use specific examples and anecdotes to illustrate your points and show how you have applied what you learned in real-life situations.
→What if I don’t have any work experience in the legal industry?
If you don’t have any work experience in the legal industry, you can still showcase your interest and potential by discussing relevant extracurricular activities or academic projects. You can also highlight any transferable skills you have developed through other work experience or activities. However, it’s worth noting that relevant work experience is highly valued by admissions tutors, so if possible, you should try to gain some before applying.
→How important is work experience in a law personal statement?
Work experience is crucial for a law personal statement as it showcases your practical understanding of the legal industry. This not only demonstrates your interest in the field but also proves your ability to apply legal principles to real-life scenarios. Admissions tutors highly value relevant work experience, as it helps them gauge your potential as a future law student and lawyer.
